If you have suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident, all hope is not lost. You can hire a lawyer who is driven to help you as you seek financial compensation for your injuries.
You can take comfort in knowing that you have held someone accountable for what they did. Hite Law Firm Trial Lawyers makes helping injured motorcyclists our mission. Call our Abbeville motorcycle accident lawyers today to learn what we can do for you.
How Other Drivers Cause Motorcycle Accidents
Although insurance companies like to blame motorcycle riders for their own accidents because it is convenient, bikers are not always responsible for crashes. Other drivers on the road can often cause accidents that can leave a motorcyclist with serious injuries. Motorists do not always take the right amount of care that would promote the safety of motorcyclists.
Here are some common causes of motorcycle accidents in Abbeville:
- Distracted driving that causes a motorist not to see a motorcyclist, who is not on their own eye level
- Improper lane changes, with the driver not properly checking their blind spot
- Not allowing enough space when passing a motorcyclist on the road
- Illegal left turns, when the driver cuts in front of a motorcyclist
- Speeding and reckless driving
- Tailgating too close to a motorcyclist
Regardless of what happened, you would need the actual evidence that would prove that the driver was at fault for the accident.
Motorcycle Accident Injuries Can Be Serious
No matter how many precautions a motorcyclist may take, the injuries that they will suffer are often serious. There is little to protect a motorcyclist from hard impact with a car or the asphalt. Even when a biker wears a helmet and the latest safety equipment, they may still suffer serious injuries.
The fatality rate in motorcycle accidents is 28 times higher than in a vehicle crash. Even when a motorcyclist survives the accident, they may be left with serious injuries that can impact their lives for some time to come.
Common motorcycle accident injuries include:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Cuts and lacerations
- Soft tissue injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burns
- Road rash
- Internal injuries and organ damage
- Crush injuries
No matter what type of injury you have suffered, you can expect the insurance company will do everything it can to avoid paying for your losses in full.
South Carolina Motorcycle Laws
South Carolina has a number of motorcycle safety laws on its books that both protect bikers and impose requirements on them. Motorcyclists are fully entitled to their own lane in traffic, just as any other driver would. State law declares that “no motor vehicle shall be driven in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane.”
According to South Carolina law:
“Every person operating a motorcycle shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the drivers of motor vehicles.”
South Carolina does not have a mandatory helmet law for riders over the age of 21. Accordingly, you can expect the insurance company to try to make that the sole cause of your injuries when their policyholder injured you through their negligence. You need a motorcycle accident lawyer to stand up for you when the insurance company tries to make you their scapegoat so they can save money.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
In the days after your motorcycle accident, you are likely dealing with serious injuries. You should tend to your physical health for several reasons:
- The days after an accident are the most crucial to your long-term health. Early treatment of your injuries can increase the chances that you can make a full recovery.
- The insurance company could claim that you made your own condition worse by failing to seek treatment as soon as you could.
Always follow all the medical recommendations. Be sure to keep all your appointments and take all the medications prescribed to you. Do not give the insurance company any chance to claim that you could have done something to better your own condition.
In addition, you should contact a lawyer to get legal help. The other driver’s insurance company may already be hard at work trying to do what is in their power to reduce your settlement or even refuse to compensate you. Your motorcycle accident lawyer can stand up for your legal rights when necessary. We grant peace of mind that someone is safeguarding your rights. With Hite Law Firm, you will know that there is somebody who can listen and has the power to act forcefully towards the insurance company on your behalf.
Damages in a Motorcycle Accident Case
If you can prove that the driver was negligent, you would be eligible for financial compensation for your injuries. The driver has the legal obligation to restore you to the position that you were in before the accident, as much as they can.
Your damages can be both actual financial losses that you have suffered and the loss of your well-being.
The responsible driver would be obligated to pay you the following:
- The complete costs of your medical care
- Property damages
- Lost wages (both for missed time and a reduction in your earnings capacity)
- Pain and suffering for your physical and mental discomfort
- Emotional distress
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
The defendant must pay for both your past and future damages, so you must know what you deserve with precision. That is where we can help you. We can give you a figure that you should seek in a settlement of a lawsuit.
If your loved one died in a motorcycle accident, a family can seek wrongful death damages to compensate the family for what they have lost.
How Our Lawyers Can Help You
At Hite Law Firm Trial Lawyers, we are all about helping our clients. We believe that a lawyer cannot effectively advocate for a client until they know who that client is and what is important to them. Accordingly, the first thing that we will do is listen to you, both about the facts of your case and what you are facing.
Once you hire us, we can do the following for your case:
- Investigate the cause of your motorcycle accident and figure out who may be responsible to pay your damages
- Gather the evidence necessary to prove fault in the accident
- Estimate the value of your case, so you know how much to seek in a settlement or lawsuit
- File the claim or lawsuit seeking compensation on your behalf
- Negotiate a potential settlement on your behalf or argue your case in court
Our aim is to support you knowing that someone is listening, and that you can get justice after your accident. Choose a family-oriented team who can uplift you. It will not take you long to learn how we care about our clients.
Contact an Abbeville Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
When you need a motorcycle accident lawyer, reach out to the Hite Law Firm Trial Lawyers. Getting compensated for your motorcycle accident injuries may be the start of a new life for you. Our lawyers work for you on a contingency basis, and you only need to pay us if you win your case. The first step to take is reaching out to our office. You can fill out an online contact form or call us today at 864-664-2252.
